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Before You Buy · Archive
The complete column: every question we have answered so far, newest first.
All 2 questions
- 27 August 2026
Reading the label #2
How to Tell If Olive Oil Is Real
You cannot prove olive oil is pure at home — adulteration is only settled by laboratory chemistry. What you can judge in a minute is quality: check the harvest date rather than the best-before date, look for a single origin and a published lab analysis, then taste for a fruity, bitter, peppery oil.
- 24 August 2026
Reading the label #1
What Is Early Harvest Olive Oil?
Early harvest olive oil is pressed from olives picked green in October and November, before they fully ripen. The unripe fruit gives less oil but far more polyphenols — the antioxidants behind its grassy aroma and peppery bite. That lower yield and higher nutrient density make it the most prized style of extra virgin olive oil.